Birds of Prey
4 years ago - Barbara Gordon recruits Dinah Lance as her own field agent, forming the Birds of Prey.
Partnership: 24-year-old Barbara Gordon, 32-year-old Dinah Lance
Partnership: 24-year-old Barbara Gordon, 32-year-old Dinah Lance
3 years ago - 25-year-old Barbara Gordon and Dinah Lance meet in person for the first time. 27-year-old Helena Bertinelli's Huntress starts working with the Birds of Prey.
Partnership: 25-year-old Barbara Gordon, 33-year-old Dinah Lance
Partnership: 25-year-old Barbara Gordon, 33-year-old Dinah Lance
2 years ago - 25-year-old Mari McCabe is asked to help the Birds of Prey.
Partnership: 26-year-old Barbara Gordon, 34-year-old Dinah Lance
Partnership: 26-year-old Barbara Gordon, 34-year-old Dinah Lance
1 year ago - 27-year-old Barbara Gordon expands the Birds of Prey, bringing in 29-year-old Helena Bertinelli full-time. They work with 30-year-old Kate Spencer.
Membership: 27-year-old Barbara Gordon, 35-year-old Dinah Lance, 29-year-old Helena Bertinelli,
Membership: 27-year-old Barbara Gordon, 35-year-old Dinah Lance, 29-year-old Helena Bertinelli,
now - 18-year-old Cassandra Cain & 19-year-old Stephanie Brown become part-time members. Lady Shiva assists the team.
Membership: 28-year-old Barbara Gordon, 36-year-old Dinah Lance, 30-year-old Helena Bertinelli, 18-year-old Cassandra Cain, 19-year-old Stephanie Brown
Membership: 28-year-old Barbara Gordon, 36-year-old Dinah Lance, 30-year-old Helena Bertinelli, 18-year-old Cassandra Cain, 19-year-old Stephanie Brown
Noteworthy Teams
Current Members
Operatives
The Birds of Prey are probably pretty unique among the teams we're incorporating in our project, because for us to grab the best stories of this teams history we actually only need to reference the original series. This isn't because any of the following series were BAD, but instead it's because the original was pretty inarguably one of the greatest team comics that's ever been put together. All we really need to do is try to keep the team as it was presented in that series.
The Birds of Prey Comic HistoryThe 'Birds of Prey' was the subtitle of a single comic written by Chuck DIxon in 1996. In it, a down-on-her-luck Black Canary gets contacted by the mysterious Oracle to work as her operative in a complex, world-spanning adventure. It was an amazing story, going miles developing both characters, and was quickly followed by an ongoing series. The pair continued working for years, building an absolutely fascinating relationship before they ever even met in person.
Eventually, Chuck Dixon left the book after a long, impressive run, and after a few guest writers, the series was taken over by Gail Simone, who continued the series' focus on the relationships at play but also successfully added new characters Huntress and Lady Blackhawk to the mix. Gail is famously outspoken in her interest in creating female characters that are as dynamic and powerful as any you might see in a male-led comic, and she really created the blueprint for how to do it here. |
Why The Birds of Prey is the Best Superhero Team EverI've gone on about how this series is unique in the way it centered itself on the relationships between the characters, but you could probably argue that that's true of MOST comics... or indeed most fiction in general. So what is it about this particular story, with this particular team, by these particular writers, that made it stand out so much?
First, I'd say that its long, slow introduction between the original characters was unique. It felt like every bit of their partnership was earned. Perhaps more importantly though... this is a series that put a friendship between two women front and center. I don't think I need to explain just how incredibly rare that is. Even later on, as more women were added to their partnership, the focus continued to remain on the way they all continued to trust and support each other. Make no mistake, this series had some amazing adventures and intrigue, and great ties to the rest of the DC canon, but it was the relationships at play that made this the best team of superheroes ever. |
Our Birds of Prey StoryWe made a point to build all three of the main members of the Birds; Oracle, Black Canary, and Huntress, in such a way that all of them are in one way or another adrift in their lives, in need of the support that they ultimately find in each other. That's really the crux of this group. Barbara will often bring in one-time operatives for one mission or another, so we wanted to do the same.
The Birds of Prey have continued to be a regular part of DC ever since their first series, and lots of different characters have joined their lineup, but I'd say they've never really managed to reproduce the particular chemistry of the original group. If we're going to look toward the future, we want any new members to feel like they're going to fit into their dynamic, and to that end we included Cassandra Cain, and Barbara's new protege, Stephanie Brown. These characters have all grown as part of the Birds of Prey, and have much larger roles in the larger DC landscape... but they're all going to be part of this partnership first. |